Konica Minolta Saluted as a "Champion of Good Works" and for Volunteer Efforts

Published 4:31 PM ET Tue, 5 April 2016
Globe Newswire

RAMSEY, N.J., April 5, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A., Inc. (Konica Minolta) today announced it has been named a "Champion of Good Works'' by the Commerce and Industry Association of New Jersey (CIANJ) and cited for its community volunteering efforts by the Bergen Volunteer Center of Bergen County, New Jersey.

CIANJ

Konica Minolta was recognized by the CIANJ at its recent Chairman's Reception that salutes the generosity of the business community for its ongoing philanthropic efforts in northern New Jersey and nationwide. The company supports education by promoting early childhood literacy and STEM programs among underserved students of all ages. Most recently, through its Books2BETTER campaign, the company donated nearly 1,000 books to low-income students throughout the state and more than 3,500 books nationwide, aiming to equip students with the academic foundation they need to succeed.

More than 250 business executives attended the gala reception at the Stony Hill Inn in Hackensack. Martin Kafafian, chairman of the CIANJ Board of Directors, presented trophies to 33 businesses.

"For most of these companies, their donations, kindness and community outreach are part of their corporate culture — their mission," said Kafafian, who is also a managing member of the Beattie Padovano law firm in Montvale. "The public at large is often unaware of the magnitude and scope of the good works. This reception is our way of shining a spotlight on 'Companies that Care.'"

The Paramus-based CIANJ is a statewide business advocacy organization that represents more than 900 member companies from every business sector. It asked businesses to submit stories and photos of their good works and received more than 90 responses. These accounts and pictures are featured in a special "Companies that Care" section in the March issue of COMMERCE Magazine, the media arm of the association.

A panel of judges reviewed all the submissions and selected the champions. The judges included: Cathleen Davey, executive director of the Ramapo College Foundation, John Galandak, president of the CIANJ, Jackie Lue Raia, assistant director of the NJ Sharing Network, Cindy Myer, the owner of Ridgewood Moving Service who also serves as president of the board of the Center for Hope and Safety; Jacey Raimondo, executive director of the Habitat for Humanity of Bergen County, Judi Stewart, an ambassador with the CIANJ Human Resources Council, and Tom Toronto, president of Bergen County's United Way.

Bergen Volunteer Center

The Bergen Volunteer Center gave its salute to volunteers from all parts of the county at its annual Celebrate Volunteers event on Wednesday, March 30. Held at Bergen Community College in Paramus, NJ, the evening consisted of an inspiring program, highlighting the many extraordinary ways in which volunteers enhance the community.

Konica Minolta was the Corporate Honoree at the event, recognized for its philanthropic efforts in the community and work with the Volunteer Center. There were more than 200 attendees from public and private non-profit organizations, hospitals, libraries, religious organizations, schools and corporations in Bergen County. Volunteers from all aspects of the community attended and were honored at this non-competitive, community-wide event.

"We are so pleased to honor Konica Minolta, at this year's Celebrate Volunteers; there are few companies that exemplify the type of leadership and dedication Konica Minolta brings to Bergen County. The Bergen Volunteer Center is grateful to have them as a corporate partner and community friend."

"Konica Minolta is honored to be recognized as a corporate partner and its role as a community volunteer because our employees are the voice of the company, and their efforts reflect our sincere desire to give back to the community," said Kevin Kern, senior vice president, Marketing. "The Bergen Volunteer Center is the right partner for us to express this desire in a professional and productive manner."

About Konica Minolta

Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A., Inc. is a leader in information management focused on enterprise content, technology optimization and cloud services. Our portfolio of offerings deliver solutions to improve our customers' speed to market, manage technology costs, and facilitate the sharing of information to increase productivity. The All Covered IT Services division offers a range of IT strategy, support, project and cloud computing solutions across all verticals. Konica Minolta has won numerous awards and recognition, including placement in the Leaders Quadrant on the Gartner 2014 Magic Quadrant for Managed Print Services (MPS) and Managed Content Services (MCS). Konica Minolta has been recognized as the #1 Brand for Customer Loyalty in the MFP Office Copier Market by Brand Keys for nine consecutive years. Konica Minolta, Inc. has also been named to the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index for four years in a row. For more information, please visit: www.countonkonicaminolta.com and follow Konica Minolta on Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter @konicaminoltaus.